Post by Lithfan on Jan 15, 2016 6:35:26 GMT -5
January 15, 1983
The Jets would travel to Los Angeles to take on the top-seeded Raiders in the Divisional playoffs. A week earlier, both teams racked up over 500 yards of offense in easy Wild Card round wins against Ohio teams, the Jets topping the Bengals, 44-17, and the Raiders beating the Browns 27-10. So naturally, the two teams played a low scoring, mistake filled affair, with the Jets squeaking by the Raiders 17-14.
The Jets opened up a 10-0 halftime lead on the strength of a 20-yard TD pass from Richard Todd to Wesley Walker in the first quarter and a 30-yard Pat Leahy field goal in the 2nd. The Leahy field goal was set up by a 37-yard Todd to Walker connection. Walker finished the game with 7 receptions for 169 yards and a TD and Todd finished 15-24-277-1-2.
The Jets kept the Raiders off the scoreboard in the first half with an opportunistic bend but don’t break defense. 4 times in the first half, the Raiders made it into Jets territory, but they came up empty each time. A fumbled Todd-Freeman McNeil exchange on a handoff, recovered by Ted Hendricks just five minutes into the game, but Chris Bahr’s field goal attempt would hit off the right upright no good. The Jets also got a 2nd quarter red zone interception from Bobby Jackson to end another Raiders threat. It was the first of three interceptions thrown by QB Jim Plunkett.
The Raiders got their offense going in the second half. They took the second half kickoff and went 77 yards in ten plays. Marcus Allen carried in from 3 yards out to cut the Jets lead to 3. Late in the 3rd, the Raiders took the lead when Plunkett hit Malcolm Barnwell on a slant over the middle and he took it 57-yards for the score, giving the Raiders a 14-10 lead in the final minute of the 3rd.
The Raiders looked ready to extend their lead as they reached the red zone on their next possession, until Joe Klecko recovered a fumble by Allen at the 14. The Jets threatened on their next possession, marching into Raiders territory following the fumble, until Todd was picked off by Burgess Owen in the end zone. After the Raiders were forced to punt, Todd and the Jets got the ball back at their own 33. Todd led the Jets on a 6-play 67 yard drive scoring drive. The big play was a beautiful 45-yard completion to Walker that set the Jets up with a first and goal at the 1. On the next play, Scott Dierking carried it in for the TD, and the Jets had a 17-14 lead to protect with 3:45 remaining on the clock.
“It was a simple play,” Todd said of the 45-yarder to Walker. “He was getting a lot of bump and run. THey were challenging us to throw on them and with receivers like Wesley Walker you have to take a chance and go for the end zone. Wesley is an All-Pro, he just did a great job. I’ll challenge anybody who wants to bump and run with Wesley.”
It was a sloppy game that featured 10 turnovers -- five by each team including 5 in the 4th quarter. The last 3 turnovers would come on consecutive possessions in a frenzied final 3 minutes after the Jets had taken the lead. The Jets seemingly had the game locked up when Lance Mehl picked off Plunkett at the Raiders 27 with 2:49 on the clock, but the Jets gave it right back. 23 seconds later, McNeil, who went over 100 yards on the day, lost a fumble giving the Raiders one last chance.
Plunkett drove the Raiders to the Jets 42, with 1:37 left and no timeouts. Needing just one more completion to get into field goal range, Mehl stepped in front of another Plunkett pass to seal the game with his second interception.
A strange footnote to this game occurred at halftime, when the Jets Coach, Walt Michaels, received a profanity laced phone call in the Jets locker room. The caller claimed to be Jets owner Leon Hess. Michaels was convinced the call was from Al Davis to try to throw the Jets off their game. “Whoever called is one sick individual,” said Michaels,. “His initials are A.D. and I don’t care if he knows about it. It's a rotten way to try to disturb a football team.”
Turns out it was a crank call from a NY bartender.
Source: The Rome News-Tribune & The Toledo Blade
The Jets would travel to Los Angeles to take on the top-seeded Raiders in the Divisional playoffs. A week earlier, both teams racked up over 500 yards of offense in easy Wild Card round wins against Ohio teams, the Jets topping the Bengals, 44-17, and the Raiders beating the Browns 27-10. So naturally, the two teams played a low scoring, mistake filled affair, with the Jets squeaking by the Raiders 17-14.
The Jets opened up a 10-0 halftime lead on the strength of a 20-yard TD pass from Richard Todd to Wesley Walker in the first quarter and a 30-yard Pat Leahy field goal in the 2nd. The Leahy field goal was set up by a 37-yard Todd to Walker connection. Walker finished the game with 7 receptions for 169 yards and a TD and Todd finished 15-24-277-1-2.
The Jets kept the Raiders off the scoreboard in the first half with an opportunistic bend but don’t break defense. 4 times in the first half, the Raiders made it into Jets territory, but they came up empty each time. A fumbled Todd-Freeman McNeil exchange on a handoff, recovered by Ted Hendricks just five minutes into the game, but Chris Bahr’s field goal attempt would hit off the right upright no good. The Jets also got a 2nd quarter red zone interception from Bobby Jackson to end another Raiders threat. It was the first of three interceptions thrown by QB Jim Plunkett.
The Raiders got their offense going in the second half. They took the second half kickoff and went 77 yards in ten plays. Marcus Allen carried in from 3 yards out to cut the Jets lead to 3. Late in the 3rd, the Raiders took the lead when Plunkett hit Malcolm Barnwell on a slant over the middle and he took it 57-yards for the score, giving the Raiders a 14-10 lead in the final minute of the 3rd.
The Raiders looked ready to extend their lead as they reached the red zone on their next possession, until Joe Klecko recovered a fumble by Allen at the 14. The Jets threatened on their next possession, marching into Raiders territory following the fumble, until Todd was picked off by Burgess Owen in the end zone. After the Raiders were forced to punt, Todd and the Jets got the ball back at their own 33. Todd led the Jets on a 6-play 67 yard drive scoring drive. The big play was a beautiful 45-yard completion to Walker that set the Jets up with a first and goal at the 1. On the next play, Scott Dierking carried it in for the TD, and the Jets had a 17-14 lead to protect with 3:45 remaining on the clock.
“It was a simple play,” Todd said of the 45-yarder to Walker. “He was getting a lot of bump and run. THey were challenging us to throw on them and with receivers like Wesley Walker you have to take a chance and go for the end zone. Wesley is an All-Pro, he just did a great job. I’ll challenge anybody who wants to bump and run with Wesley.”
It was a sloppy game that featured 10 turnovers -- five by each team including 5 in the 4th quarter. The last 3 turnovers would come on consecutive possessions in a frenzied final 3 minutes after the Jets had taken the lead. The Jets seemingly had the game locked up when Lance Mehl picked off Plunkett at the Raiders 27 with 2:49 on the clock, but the Jets gave it right back. 23 seconds later, McNeil, who went over 100 yards on the day, lost a fumble giving the Raiders one last chance.
Plunkett drove the Raiders to the Jets 42, with 1:37 left and no timeouts. Needing just one more completion to get into field goal range, Mehl stepped in front of another Plunkett pass to seal the game with his second interception.
A strange footnote to this game occurred at halftime, when the Jets Coach, Walt Michaels, received a profanity laced phone call in the Jets locker room. The caller claimed to be Jets owner Leon Hess. Michaels was convinced the call was from Al Davis to try to throw the Jets off their game. “Whoever called is one sick individual,” said Michaels,. “His initials are A.D. and I don’t care if he knows about it. It's a rotten way to try to disturb a football team.”
Turns out it was a crank call from a NY bartender.
Source: The Rome News-Tribune & The Toledo Blade
